The 2013 NFL Draft transformed 32 NFL rosters. Around The League will examine the aftershocks in our Draft Fallout series. Next up: The Chicago Bears.
Have Bears ensured there will be no Urlacher hangover?
There will be no surprise reunion between the Bears and Brian Urlacher.
Hope was extinguished on that front when Chicago used the 50th overall pick in the draft to select inside linebacker Jon Bostic. The first linebacker the Bears have selected prior to the third round since Urlacher went ninth overall in 2000, Bostic is the future at middle linebacker in Chicago.
He will compete with D.J. Williams for the role this season. Don't be surprised if Bostic wins the job as a rookie.
Finding Urlacher's successor wasn't the only bit of future planning done at linebacker by the Bears. Khaseem Greene, a Rutgers product selected in the fourth round, could end up being Lance Briggs' eventual replacement at weak-side linebacker.
Bostic and Greene are similar players -- lunch pail thumpers who bring fresh blood to an aging unit. They weren't sexy picks, but they were the right move for a defense in transition.
Three takeaways
- Selecting Oregon guard Kyle Long with the 20th overall pick surprised many. Long had mainly been projected to be a second-round pick, but the Bears drafted for need, taking the top offensive lineman after the initial wave of studs were off the board. Long's measurables and pedigree were enough for the Bears, who desperately need to put together an offensive line that can properly protect Jay Cutler. Again, not sexy, but the logic is sound.
- Speaking of Cutler, the Bears didn't address the quarterback position with any of their six picks. Given the fact that nearly all the top QBs in the class dropped into the second round or later, it's somewhat surprising the Bears didn't take a flier. Remember, Cutler is entering the final year of his contract. Uncertainty is closer to the surface than it may seem.
- Marquess Wilson was a seventh-round pick, but he has a chance to earn a roster spot. The Bears have an opening at wide receiver on their depth chart after Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffrey and Earl Bennett. The lingering Devin Hester experiment is over, while Eric Weems never found a role last season. Detached from Mike Leach drama at Washington State, Wilson is a fast and lean target with upside. He will get a fair shot.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
